The 2021 free agency period is less than 10 days away and Brandon Beane and his staff have been preparing for the offseason frenzy that happens every year.
Beane was a recent guest on a couple of podcasts and shows and talked about multiple topics including this upcoming free agency period and some of the lessons he's learned while working in the NFL. One thing that he made perfectly clear while on PFF's The Cris Collinsworth Podcast featuring Richard Sherman is that he and Sean McDermott are always going to do what's in the best interest of the Buffalo Bills organization.
The pandemic will cause the 2021 salary cap to be lower than expected a final number has yet to be set by the NFL yet. Earlier this year, the NFL announced the salary floor would be $180 million.
Beane and his staff will have to look at the Bills current roster and evaluate how to keep all the players they want to under a reduced cap. The Bills general manager noted that they will have to get creative with contract reductions, restructurings, and other different incentives to push the earnings more into the future. But it is important to Beane not to lose too many players who fit Buffalo's culture and to add to that through the draft.
"So, we're going to look at all avenues to try and not lose too many players and still add [talent]," Beane stated. "Then obviously the draft is going to be very important not only for us but a lot of teams this year. Finding that cheap labor and not missing on those picks."
One of the young draft picks from the 2020 Draft received high praise from Beane. During the interview, Sherman asked Beane who on the roster is a star on the rise and he responded with Dane Jackson. The Bills final pick in last year's draft didn't see the field much in 2020 but when he did, he made an impact. In only five games, Jackson had one interception, five passes defensed and a fumble recovery. Beane applauded the young player's instincts and awareness on the football field.
"He's a young man that we believe will be able to compete to start next year," Beane told Richard Sherman. "We're obviously going to bring in competition for him but he's a guy we got high hopes for as a young player that showed us that it wasn't too big for him."
Besides the cornerback position, another position group that Beane talked about was the offensive line and what their starting front five might look like in 2021. While Beane didn't share exactly who would be coming back – like any good GM would – he did note the importance of having five solid guys upfront to protect Josh Allen at all times.
"We got some pieces, Cris, that we'll have to see if we can get back," Beane stated. "If not, to your point, it's very important for us to protect Josh Allen, first and foremost, and secondly, try and get that running game going."
It's very rare for an NFL team to bring back completely the same roster from one season to the next. Even though teams would like to, there simply isn't enough money for that to be a reality. That leads to the front office making tough decisions about players who have helped the team succeed in the past. Beane was on Boardroom's Game Plan show and talked with Jordan Schultz about how to win in the NFL and he touched on the best way to have those tough conversations with players.
"Be straightforward and be honest with people," Beane explained to Schultz. "That's one of the things that I've learned through watching other people and then how I would want to be treated. Delivering bad news, nobody wants to do that. But the best way to do it is to be honest, as painful as that can be."
Scroll through to view photos of some of the top prospects that some draft analysts have projected the Bills to take in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Alijah Vera-Tucker | Guard | USC
We've seen Vera-Tucker grade well at both guard and tackle during his USC career, though he's a better fit at guard in the NFL. He's a smooth pass-protector and good second-level run-blocker, and 2020 showed that he could play tackle in a pinch because he allowed just eight pressures on 305 pass-blocking snaps on the season. - PFF, Steve Palazzolo
Nick Bolton | LB | Missouri
With Matt Milano scheduled for free agency, Buffalo could stand to add some youth and talent to the linebacker spot opposite Tremaine Edmunds. Bolton is rangy, athletic, and hard-hitting 'backer who could contribute both in base and nickel looks for the Bills. The Ringer, Danny Kelly
Asante Samuel Jr. | CB | Florida State
What Samuel lacks in size, he makes up for in athleticism and positional versatility. He's an instinctive player who doesn't shy away from contact if positioned in the slot or the box, and his movement skills give him an advantage over a lot of outside receivers when lined up at cornerback. - PFF, Austin Gayle
Liam Eichenberg | OT | Notre Dame
Eichenberg was reliable throughout his career at Notre Dame, showing the type of power and nastiness in the running game the Bills love. This looks like it could be a sweet spot for offensive linemen in the draft order, but don't be surprised if the Bills entertain trading back to get more picks on the second day of the draft. - The Athletic, Matthew Fairburn
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | LB | Notre Dame
He will be the chess piece that can be used outside, over the slot, or even in the box in sub. - The Draft Network, Drae Harris
Aaron Robinson | CB | UCF
Robinson is a tall, rangy cornerback prospect with the ability to play in the slot or outside. - NFL.com, Daniel Jeremiah
Jaycee Horn | CB | South Carolina
Buffalo could upgrade the No. 2 cornerback spot on the depth chart, and Horn is a great fit for what the Bills covet at the position. - The Athletic, Dane Brugler
Dillon Radunz | OT | North Dakota State
Jayson Oweh | Edge | Penn State
You aren't a two-time member of Bruce Feldman's Freaks List without having some serious athletic ability, and Oweh certainly has that. He can beat tackles around the edge with his get-off, and he was much improved against the run this past season at Penn State, posting an 89.7 run-defense grade. - PFF, Ben Linsey
Levi Onwuzurike | DL | Washington
They had all kinds of problems stopping the run last year, which means they need to get better inside. This kid impressed at the Senior Bowl. - CBS Sports, Pete Prisco
Trevon Moehrig | S | TCU
What they also could use is a rangy, versatile safety who can handle some slot duty, and Moehrig fits that mold to a tee. - Yahoo Sports, Eric Edholm
Azeez Ojulari | Edge | Georgia
Ojulari would provide some juice off the edge if the team is still looking for help at the position when the draft gets underway. - NFL.com, Daniel Jeremiah
Jalen Mayfield | OT | Michigan
Mayfield has stood out on film with his size, length and strength and can develop into a smooth blocker a la the Broncos' Garett Bolles. -Sporting News, Vinnie Iyer
Teven Jenkins | OT | Oklahoma State
Jenkins can improve their ability to rush the ball and protect budding star Josh Allen. - NFL.com, Chad Reuter
Christian Barmore | DT | Alabama
Alabama's Christian Barmore entered the 2020 campaign as one of the country's most intriguing draft prospects, because he flashed as an interior pass-rusher but not on a full-time basis. He got a chance to be a starter this past season and didn't emerge as the player everyone expected until Alabama's playoff run. The Bills could take a chance on the upside and possibly land a future All-Pro talent. -Bleacher Report, Brent Sobleski
Najee Harris | RB | Alabama
Alabama's Harris could come in and immediately contribute to this Bills rushing attack. His blend of vision, patience, and physicality is eerily similar to prime Le'Veon Bell, and pairing him with Allen and Stefon Diggs could give the Bills their own version of the Killer Bs (Big Ben, Bell, and Antonio Brown). - The Draft Network,Brentley Weissman
Tyson Campbell | CB | Georgia
Campbell would add a long, physical playmaker to a secondary that improved over the course of the 2020 season. - CBS Sports, Ryan Wilson
Wyatt Davis | Guard | Ohio State
Davis should recover from the leg injury he suffered against Alabama in the national championship game and can be an elite NFL interior blocker. He already has showed plenty in the way of paving the way for the Buckeyes' prolific rushing attack, something Buffalo can use on the ground. - Sporting News, Vinnie Iyer
Carlos Basham Jr. | Edge | Wake Forest
The Bills' need for more speed and athleticism on defense could make the ultra-active Basham an intriguing option. The Wake Forest standout is an impressive pass rusher with an explosive first step and violent hands. -NFL.com, Bucky Brooks
Travis Etienne | RB | Clemson
I really think they'd like to be more threatening on all three downs from the running back position, and a home run threat and explosive receiving option like Etienne will do the trick. - Pewter Report, Jon Ledyard
Another lesson that Beane learned during his time as general manager in Carolina is that a player has to fit with the culture of the football team no matter how talented they are. That is one of the core values that Beane and McDermott have built this team on and is something they always keep in mind every offseason.
"One of the lessons that I learned is talent is talent, but you also have to make sure you have the right people and the right leaders to keep your culture strong," Beane told Collinsworth and Sherman. "One bad apple or a couple of guys can really uproot what you built. … I think Sean and I are on the same page here, that we obviously want very talented players but it's very important for us to have the right fits that fit in this Buffalo community."
